ACO Foundations is an in-school program which uses music learning to improve the developmental and educational outcomes of children in low socio-economic status schools.
At the ACO we know that music education has benefits for children far beyond the development of musical skills and appreciation. Research has shown, beyond a doubt, that music learning can positively impact brain development, educational achievement, emotional and behavioural development, motivation, engagement and well-being. We also believe that music education should be for ALL students, and designed ACO Foundations with a view to addressing equity of access to music education in under-serviced public schools.
The ACO Foundations program aims to:
1. Improve the developmental and educational outcomes of students in low SES public schools; and
2. Demonstrate how music learning can be integrated into the core classroom curriculum for the benefit of all students.
The Model
The ACO Foundations model is based on research by Dr Anita Collins which shows that playing a musical instrument can make permanent changes to the structure and functioning of the brain. To see this effect, one must start before the age of seven, practice regularly and often, and continue for at least two years. On this basis, ACO Foundations sees students participate in an intensive instrumental program, commencing in Year One and continuing until the end of Year Three.
Our Journey
ACO Foundations has been running as an expansive pilot program in St Marys North Public School in Western Sydney since 2018. The pilot program commenced with 25 Year One students who participated in the program for two years. From 2020, the expansion began with the entire Year One cohort participating in the program and by 2022 the full program expansion was realised with all of Years One, Two and Three. Now in its sixth year, ACO Foundations sees over 160 students and their classroom teachers participating in the program on a daily basis, with life-changing impacts.
In 2023, the ACO released an Evaluation Report which outlines the ACO Foundations program model and its intended outcomes; the successes and learnings from the five-year pilot program; and highlights the benefits of this innovative approach for students, school staff, parents, and the wider school community. This Evaluation Report demonstrates that ACO Foundations is a model of music education that generates positive and permanent change for students—musically, developmentally, and educationally—and has the potential to make a profound impact on education and performance in low SES schools.
In 2025, ACO Foundations launched its second school, Belle Vue Park Primary School, in Glenroy, Melbourne.
What Educators Say
“It has been a privilege for us at Belle Vue Park Primary School to observe the many positive impacts that the ACO Foundations program has had on our students. This has included enhanced student capacity to focus on a task for longer, greater self-regulation, increased development of language, improved teamwork and improved social skills. Our students have also developed grit and determination as they learn their instruments, along with well-deserved joy and pride in their achievements.”
— Paul Kenna, Principal, Belle Vue Park Primary School
“The ACO Foundations program affords our students access to the highest quality music program that, quite simply, changes lives. Not only do we see the cognitive, social, and behavioural benefits of a daily music program, it is the access our students have to world-class musicians that provides a level of equity and opportunity that I have rarely seen in my career as an educator. Our students do not see their level of disadvantage… they see themselves as little musicians who have the world at their feet and can dream of being just like the ACO when they grow up.”
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Lisa Parrello, Principal, St Marys North Public School
“The research has shown that access to a quality music education has far-reaching benefits in children’s lives. We in the ACO have a national platform and it is our civic duty to provide children, particularly those from disadvantaged circumstances, with access to music and learning an instrument. The results are life changing.”
— Richard Tognetti, Artistic Director, ACO
